Suggesting worsening relations between the countries, the Russian government on Wednesday said that almost all communication channels between the Kremlin and the United States have been frozen. The United States State Department however has refuted the statement.
Spokesperson for Kremlin Dmitry Peskov said that he hopes that the US President-elect Donald Trump's administration would help in improving the strained ties between the nations, but he also added that Russia doesn't expect any immediate breakthrough from the Trump team either.
Peskov, while talking to Mir TV, also said that the Russian government expects the US administration to take a "fresher and more constructive approach" towards the issue and said that the new team should not handle the problems between the nations with "excessive optimism."
The Kremlin spokesperson said that Trump administration will be unlikely to overturn certain rules like deployment of NATO's forces near the Russian borders or lifting the sanctions against Russia quickly. "We have never worn rose-coloured glasses, We clearly understand that any US president will first of all protect interests of his country," he added.
Peskov also said that the claims by anti-Trump officials that Donald Trump shares a close relationship with Russia is not true and said that such arguments only show that their fear of the Russians which he deemed as "Russophobia."
"We don't know yet what kind of president Trump will be and what position toward Russia he will take. If our partners show the readiness to conduct a dialogue to search for solutions and to take mutual concerns into account...it will mark a new approach," Peskov added.
The Putin spokesperson also rejected US President Barack Obama's allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US Presidential elections to influence the polls in Trump's favour.
"If such accusations are made, we have the right to demand an explanation, a proof and arguments. We haven't been offered any of it...dialogue with the United States has been frozen on practically all levels," Peskov said.
